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Tuck In The Middle With You -*- Copyright 1998 by Ellen Hayes.
Any resemblance between the writings in this work, and any actual persons or places, living or dead, are purely coincidental, except when used for satirical purposes.
This work contains adult situations, adult language, adult concepts, and possibly sex. If you are legally not allowed to read materials containing such things, then you will be breaking the law by reading this. I am not responsible. Continuing to read this document, or storing it or reproducing it in any format means that you explicitly affirm that you are legally allowed to possess and read such materials in your city, county/parish, state, and country.
All rights reserved. See the bottom for distribution rights.
Tuck In The Middle With You
*** 06:28 14 Apr
It seemed so surreal to have the alarm going off, and me having to get up and go to school and everything today, just like before. It felt like something else should have changed, something significant, but it hadn't. Nothing ever changed.
*** 07:54 14 Apr
"Hey, Tuck, you okay?" I turned around, and it was Julia.
I nodded. "Debbie's been keeping pretty tight reins on me since... last week." She nodded. "Sorry about-"
"No." She shook her head. "I just hope you got your head back on straight. I'd miss you, you little weasel." She ruffed my hair and smiled to show me she didn't mean an insult.
I glanced up just in time to see Debbie. "Tuck?" I waved her over. She glanced at Julia as she walked up. "How are you?" she asked me.
"Better than I was last week," I told her truthfully, and gave her a hug. "I miss you," I said into her hair. That made her squeeze me really hard and hold on. Julia waited for a bit, then waved at me and walked off.
*** 08:05 14 Apr
"Mister Tucker?" Dobson said after the music had finished. "Principal Nickerson would like to see you immediately." He rolled his eyes as I stood up.
"Omerta," Mike mentioned as I got my pack and started out. Dan and George both slapped my hand as I left.
*** 08:12 14 Apr
"Hey!" Mike ran up to me and got me by the shoulder. Dan got the other one a second later. "What did he want?"
I took a deep breath. "I've got two weeks of detention, for skipping-"
"You're shitting me," Dan gasped. Mike just stared.
I shook my head. "I wish I was. That asshole."
"Tuck," Mike had found his voice again, "we'll fix things. Okay? Don't worry about it." He sounded like he was trying to convince me.
I wanted to argue, but I just felt tired.
*** 11:34 14 Apr
"He WHAT?!" Kim shrieked.
*** 11:38 14 Apr
I glared at Debbie. She just pointed at the phone, her jaw tight. I sighed, and dialed Dad at work.
"Hello?"
"Dad?"
"Eugene? Are you alright?"
I sighed. "Yeah, but Debbie made me call..." I gave her another glare. She didn't seem to notice.
*** 11:39 14 Apr
"He WHAT?!" Dad yelled into the phone. I winced and yanked it away from my ear. I could still hear him gibbering.
"Dad!" I yelled into it when it had slowed down a bit. "Let me give you some numbers, okay? School board and things like that."
*** 11:46 14 Apr
Mike was chuckling and rubbing his hands when we got back to the lunch group. That usually meant he'd come up with something. "What?" I asked.
He looked at me, and opened his mouth, and then closed it. "Best you don't know," he told me. Which also told me that it was going to be something evil directed at Nickerson. The less I knew...
*** 11:50 14 Apr
"Yeah, I gotta go tomorrow after school anyway," I mentioned to Debbie. "Mom thinks maybe I should be on antidepressants or something, so I get to go BACK to the doctor..." Somehow, I was less than enthusiastic about the idea. The last few trips hadn't gone very well.
I thought too hard about it, and plunged down the hole again.
*** 11:56 14 Apr
When I could look out at the world again, I pushed a little against Debbie, and she slowly let me out of her arms. At least I wasn't crying this time.
Mike was standing there, when I pulled out, and we linked hands. That weird dream I'd had in the hotel room flashed through my head, but I didn't say anything about it.
*** 14:53 14 Apr
I shrugged. "I guess I'll go, at least until I can figure out what else to do," I mentioned. Debbie made a very sour face at that.
*** 15:20 14 Apr
Deeeeeeeetention. Boooooooooooring.
*** 16:21 14 Apr
Debbie and I came in the front door, and Mom was standing there. Uh oh, I thought. "Eugene?" she said, and she didn't sound mad, so I thought I might have a chance.
*** 16:27 14 Apr
"No, Mom, I mean, I appreciate you and Dad calling and everything, I really do. But it's not that big a deal. I've had detention before, it's okay." I didn't much care. Detention was pretty much the same as everything else.
Mom looked frustrated. "But, sweetie, it's not fair that you should be punished for this!" she mentioned.
"Mom, since when was life fair?" I pointed out. "Otherwise, you would be as rich as you are beautiful."
I made a mistake when I said that, because Mom and Debbie both started to tear up, and then started to weep.
*** 17:04 14 Apr
"Debbie, listen!" I shook her a little, which got her attention. I was glad she didn't slap me for it. "Listen, call Mike and talk to him, okay? He'll have- no, he already has something in mind. GO talk to him, help him out, and then that'll be better. It'll make me feel better. Okay?"
"But, but, but," she spluttered.
"A very nice butt," I mentioned, and patted her shoulder. "It's okay, Deb. He'll do more than Mom and Dad could do." More than I could do, either.
*** 18:14 14 Apr
"Stop being a jerk!" Brian complained as he grabbed for the last of the mashed potatoes. I thought about fighting him for it, but I just didn't care enough.
*** 20:02 14 Apr
"I CALLED it, jerk," Brian snarled. I just gave him the remote, and went up to my room, ignoring my parents.
I collapsed on my bed, wishing that I'd saved some of those Valiums, so I could just drop out of existence for a while, when I heard someone knocking on my door. "Leave me alone," I mumbled, but of course they didn't. I heard Mom call through the door, "Eugene? Open the door, please?"
I sighed, and pulled myself up and went to the door. "What is it, Mom?" I asked when I opened the door.
"Eugene, please come back downstairs, we had a talk with Brian-"
"Mom, I'm tired, I want to sleep, okay?"
"Eugene, please-"
"Mom, leave me alone!" I begged, trying to keep from crying in front of her. "Just leave me alone!"
*** 08:09 15 Apr
"Tuck, do you want to play today?" Mike asked as we left homeroom.
I was still trying to figure out why Dobson had given me a weird look, and so I was a little distracted. "Huh?"
"Do you want to play today?"
"Oh, yeah, sure, " I said. "Life without roleplaying games is like, it's like-"
"A fish without a bicycle?" I nodded, and Mike nodded, and we both laughed. Old joke.
*** 11:27 15 Apr
I went by the office to drop off the note from my mom, about my doctor's appointment that afternoon, and it took me quite a while, relatively speaking, to notice that Nickerson's office had no door on it. I don't mean it was open; the whole thing was gone, frame and all.
I had to bite my lip really hard to keep from pointing and screaming.
*** 11:34 15 Apr
"You dog," I laughed when I saw Mike. "You horribly sly dog!"
"What?" Kim asked, a little wary.
Mike told her, "Go look at Nickerson's office door when you get a chance."
She thought about it for a while, then looked at me, then looked at Mike. "I gotta go see," she said, and got up. So did most of the Pack. Jill just looked at me and grinned.
*** 11:40 15 Apr
Kim and the other girls came back laughing, and pointed at Mike, but didn't say anything. Mike just raised his hand, and after a few seconds, Jill and Dan did too.
*** 15:09 15 Apr
I would have been in detention, but instead I was in Mom's car again, going to the doctor again. I think I would rather have been in detention. Not that anyone asked me what I thought. Oh, no. That would have been too easy.
*** 15:43 15 Apr
Dr. Treble gave me the eye, so I gave it back to her, as Mom finished explaining what had happened over the weekend. Things like this were why I had taken off in the first place.
*** 15:46 15 Apr
Dr. Treble said carefully, "Eugene, I think you need to see a therapist, if it's upsetting you this much-"
"I DON'T WANT to see a therapist," I emphasized. "I don't have enough time as it is, and I-"
"Eugene," my mom warned, and I turned to face her.
"Mom! I don't want-"
"You should have thought of that before you-"
"Hold on you two," Dr. Treble rode over both of us. "Eugene, it would be the best for you to get a neutral party to talk with about this. Sarah, everyone has had a shock, but Eugene most of all. I don't think this is the best time to be going at each other. You all need to be supportive of each other right now."
Pause.
"Sorry, Mom-" "Eugene, I'm-" Mom smiled at me. I felt bad. I always felt bad lately.
*** 16:08 15 Apr
I stared at the prescription she'd written for me. Zoloft. Just what I needed, another drug to worry about. I thought I'd managed to ditch taking drugs all the time when I got over my asthma, but I guess it was stupid to think that.
*** 18:35 15 Apr
"Shut UP, dork!" Brian hissed. "Nobody wanted you back anyway!"
I looked at him, and I knew he was lying, and I just didn't care. I couldn't figure out what was going on around me, and I didn't much care about that either.
I turned back to the dishes in the sink, and a paring knife caught my eye. Just one big slash, I thought, and then I remembered how long it would take to bleed to death. Mom would catch me before that long.
The phone rang, and I ignored it. Brian got it, and said, "It's your girrrrrlfriend, Tuck." I slogged over to the phone, and he dropped it in my hand, but I missed the catch. I bent down to pick it up, and ignored his sneer. "Hello?"
"Tucker?"
"Hi Deb, what's up?"
"I, I just wanted to know if you were okay, you didn't answer your phone-"
"We just had supper, we were cleaning up."
"How did the doctor visit go?"
*** 06:46 16 Apr
I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, and wondered if I should even bother to get up.
*** 07:54 16 Apr
"Tuck?" I turned around, and it was Mike. "You okay?" I shook my head. I was too tired to talk. "Come on, man, say hi to Deb before we go to homeroom."
I looked up, and she was standing next to him, looking worried. I held out my hands, and they both took one.
*** 11:31 16 Apr
I was getting my books for the afternoon, when Rob Walsh caught me at my locker. "Hey, fucker," he started out. This was usually a bad sign. What was worse, is that I didn't much care.
"What?"
"Tracy broke up with me, you little shit. It's your fault."
"How is it my fault, Rob?" This I wanted to hear.
"You had something to do with whoever fucked up my car, you little geek, and she dumped me because she got scared-"
"That's got nothing to do with me, Rob," I lied. And shut my locker and picked up my pack. Then I dropped it. I was so sick of this shit, I could puke. "So what? She finally figured out what an asshole you are, and dumped you, too bad-"
"LOOK, you little fuckhead, I'll kill you-"
I'd had it. "So? So kill me!" That stopped him. "Go on, if you're so big and macho, go ahead, kill me." I pushed him. "Go on, do it! DO IT!" I yelled at him. "Just get it the hell over with!" I pushed him again, and he pushed back this time. I almost fell over.
Mike grabbed my arm and pulled me back upright. "Tuck," he said, and let go.
"You just watch it, freak boy," Rob told me, like he'd won or something.
"No, you watch it, shithead," Mike said back. Rob flipped us the finger, and walked off. The little crowd that had collected started to leave, too, since there wasn't going to be a fight.
"Tuck, man, what's going on," Mike asked me quietly.
"I am just sick of being pushed around," I snarled.
*** 11:33 16 Apr
"Tuck, don't do that any more," Mike asked.
"I won't if he won't."
"Tuck, it's the same thing if you off yourself, as if you get someone else to do it. Don't do it." I looked at him, and he was looking at me. "I'm serious."
"I just get tired of all this..." I sighed.
"Don't we all. But that's why we hang together, so they won't do that. Okay?"
Eventually, I nodded.
*** 11:36 16 Apr
Somehow, I kept ending up joined to Debbie's hip, with Mike sitting next to me on the other side. I didn't know if I was reassuring them or they were reassuring me.
*** 12:05 16 Apr
"Hey, Tuck, we need to do something about Nickerson," Mike mentioned. I just nodded. "We need your help, man."
"You seem like you got it under control," I mentioned.
Debbie said, "Yeah, but pranks are one thing," Mike glared at her, "but we need to get rid of him. Permanently."
Mike added, "So we need to find some dirt on him, if we can, and get him either fired or so hot that he leaves."
"Otherwise," Debbie mentioned, "we'll have to make it up, and that's always harder."
"So maybe you could run a detailed check on him, see if there's anything in his background or whatever we could use against him."
"At the least," Debbie grinned, "it'll give us some hints as to what to make up."
I sighed, and wondered if I could still do anything.
Mike frowned. "Come on, Tuck, we need you."
Debbie said, "Your friends need you."
"Your country needs you!" Mike imitated a recruiter. "We're looking for a few good geeks."
"Be all you can be," Sabrina added, sort of a non sequitur.
"There is no cannibalism in the British Navy," George quoted, sticking his finger in the air, but I don't think anyone but me and Mike got it. That's probably why we were the ones that finished off the skit.
Debbie looked at me like I was a lunatic, but I felt better anyway. And she didn't move away, either.
*** 15:15 16 Apr
Deeeeeeeetention. Boooooooooooring.
*** 16:44 16 Apr
I was staring at some files on my computer when the phone flashed. I switched it on. "'Lo?"
"Hey, Tuck, what's up?" Kim asked.
"Nothing much."
Pause.
"How're you doing?"
*** 19:17 16 Apr
"Eugene?" I looked up, and Mom and Dad were both looking at me, and Brian was nowhere to be seen. This was a bad sign.
*** 19:19 16 Apr
"But I don't WANT to go to a therapist!"
"Eugene," Dad said in that tone that said I might as well stop arguing. "You need to go to one, after what- after last week."
"Dad, please," I begged, "don't make me do this."
*** 19:36 16 Apr
It was so unfair. I mean, I left because I knew I couldn't think straight with them around me, and then I get punished with having to go to a therapist for it.
I wrapped myself around a pillow, and tried to ease the agony I felt in my throat and my stomach. There wasn't anything I could do to stop crying.
*** 01:39 17 Apr
I looked up at the clock, and blinked a couple of times. "Oh," I said to myself, "that must be while I feel like shit." I'd said something wrong, but I was too tired to worry about it. Good hacking does that to you; sucks you in so deep you lose yourself.
*** 07:52 17 Apr
"How'd it go last night?" Mike asked.
"Dunno yet, still working on it. All my passwords expired, of course. I'm seeing what I can do... there's a lot of stuff." I was being deliberately vague.
"Yeah, but what are you worried about?" Mike asked.
"Me? Do I look worried?" He just nodded.
*** 07:54 18 Apr
"I mean, I mean, why me?"
"I dunno, Tuck," Mike replied. "I guess they think a therapist-"
"Shhh!" I didn't want this getting around school. Mike rolled his eyes at me. "Mike, how many guys do you know that go to therapists?" I asked quietly.
He thought about it. "Two."
"Who?"
"None of your business! Unless you want me to tell everyone that you're going to one too," he made a face when he said that, I guess at me being paranoid. "So when are you going?"
I sagged against the lockers. "They already made an appointment for me this Saturday."
I wondered why I had bothered to come back.
*** 08:00 17 Apr
"Tuck?" I looked at George. "You look like shit again, are you okay?"
I forced a smile and a nod. "Yeah, been doing some computer work." The speakers blared with "More Than a Feelin'." Nickerson was going nuts trying to figure the speaker thing out. "Stayed up too late," I added.
"Whatcha doin' tonight?" he asked.
"More computer work," I said. Probably more crying, too. I'd been doing that a lot lately.
*** 08:11 17 Apr
I was, I decided, a wimp at heart. I wanted to get this work done, but George had talked me into coming over to his house and hanging out for a while.
*** 11:34 17 Apr
I said to Debbie, "George wants me to come do something after school, okay? So tell everyone not to freak if I don't answer the phone, okay?" This was getting a little irritating-
Ding! went the play bell. "Okay, everyone ready?" Mike asked.
*** 15:22 17 Apr
Deeeeeeeetention. Boooooooooooring.
*** 16:28 17 Apr
"So what did you have in mind?" I asked George as he unlocked the door to his house.
"Just hanging out," he claimed. Sure.
*** 16:44 17 Apr
I wasn't that interested in getting my ass kicked in Mortal Kombat, so I let Mike and George go at it, while I worked on my homework. They kept looking at me between matches, like they were afraid I was going to disappear again or something.
It was tempting.
*** 17:03 17 Apr
"Hey, Tuck!" I looked up. "Don't you want to play anything?"
I thought about it for a minute, then shook my head. "No, my reflexes are way down today," I said, which was true. I was also tired as hell, and all I wanted to do was go home and sleep.
*** 20:18 17 Apr
The phone flashed, and I sighed, then reached up to the pickle and answered it. "Hello?"
"Hey, Tuck, it's Jill."
"Jill, hey, whatsup?" I don't think she'd ever called me before. It was nice having the girls call me up a lot, sort of. And it was sort of a pain in the ass, too.
"Um. I was looking around, me and Kim, for something, like a support group or something? For you? Anyway, we think we found one, and it's meeting next Friday night. Do you think you could go if we went with you?"
"What?"
*** 11:42 18 Apr
"I go to mine every week or two, and it's saved my life a couple of times," Pam said. "It's not that bad, Tuck. It's pretty much just talking to someone else about your problems, except you don't have to worry about someone blabbing. Or getting worried."
"But, but..."
*** 11:52 18 Apr
Ellen shrugged. "It's hard, sometimes, talking to her, but I think it helps some. There's a lot of shit to think about, and sometimes you get lost in your own head if all you do is run around thinking about it. Sometimes it helps to get it out, with someone who doesn't freak immediately if you say something like 'I wish I could die and not have to worry about this any more.'"
I could kind of see what she meant, because when she said that, I pulsed into overdrive for a second.
Ellen shrugged again. "At least she's willing to talk about it, instead of everyone just assuming that I'm crazy and I shouldn't."
I thought about it for a while, then I apologized. "Sorry."
She nodded slowly. "S'okay."
*** 12:09 18 Apr
Jill shrugged, but it was Kim who said, "Come on, Tuck, it'll be okay. We'll be with you."
"We asked," Jill mentioned, "and you don't even have to say anything if you don't want to."
"We just think it'd be a good idea for you to go to something like that," Pam stuck in. "It helped me out a lot. Still does sometimes," she smiled sadly at me. "It's different than therapy," which mention still bugged the hell out of me, "sort of like talking to people who've been through it. You know." She stuck her hair in her mouth.
"Do I get a choice in this?" I asked, a little irritated. Well, a lot.
Everyone chimed in to the effect that yes, of course I did, but they just thought it might help to talk to other people who were having problems like I was. Except Debbie; she just held my hand. When I looked at her, though, she looked sort of desperate.
I sighed. "You think I should go?" She nodded, and squeezed my hand tighter. "Okay, I guess... Who's coming with me?"
Debbie spoke, "Lisa needs me for a catering job that night." She must have felt guilty, because she hugged me really hard. Jill and Kim raised their hands like they were volunteering.
*** 15:02 18 Apr
"Hey, Tuck?" Mike waved to me, so I went over to see what he wanted. "You be careful this weekend, okay?" I was starting to steam, but he let it go, and just stood there, waiting. I deflated pretty quickly when I realized he wasn't going to say anything else and make my life harder than it already was.
"Yeah, I will, okay?" I sighed, deeply. "Thanks, man."
He slapped my shoulder. "Anytime."
*** 15:08 18 Apr
Deeeeeeeetention. Boooooooooooring.
*** 16:35 18 Apr
Someone flashed the doorbell on my room, so I got up to see who it was. It was Mom. "Eugene?" she started. "Your dad was thinking about taking us all to a baseball game tomorrow. Would you like to come?"
I thought about it for a long time, it seemed like. Finally, I realized that I hadn't been to a baseball game since last year.
Something else hit me, too. Mom and Dad were trying. I mean, they had no idea of what I was going through, or what it meant to me, but they were trying in their own blundering way to help.
And maybe if I went along with this, they wouldn't think up something even dumber. Like another therapist. Or one of those "treatment centers."
"Yeah, that'd be cool," I finally said. Mom hugged me, and started talking about how fun it would be, et cetera. I was right.
*** 19:22 18 Apr
"I wish I had someone to go with, but it seems like Mom's always too tired." Debbie sounded kind of sad at the thought.
"It's just some kind of thing, they want me to get back into the family thing," I explained, feeling guilty for some reason.
"Yeah, I guess." She didn't sound convinced.
*** 19:24 18 Apr
Finally someone picked up the phone. "Hello?"
"Dad?"
"What's up, son?" I tried not to sigh.
"Um, well, did you buy tickets yet? For tomorrow?"
"No, not yet, why?"
"Um, Debbie was saying her mom's always too busy to take her to stuff like baseball games, so I was wondering if we could take her with us when we went. I'll pay for her ticket..." I crossed my fingers.
He thought for a moment, then said, "Sure, I don't see why not."
*** 19:27 18 Apr
When Debbie came out of the bathroom, she gave me a funny look when she saw me smiling. "What?" she asked suspiciously.
"Well, you said you don't have any consults tomorrow afternoon, right?" She nodded. "Wanna go to a ball game?" I grinned.
Instead of smiling back, or even answering, she just looked at me for a while. I was about to say something when I saw the first tear track down her nose.
*** 19:32 18 Apr
She'd got me doing it, too. And we were gonna miss the movie. But I guess what we were doing together was more important.
*** 19:48 18 Apr
"I dunno, Deb." I stared up at the streetlights. "Just... I dunno. I wanted to, sort of, but.... Things get in the way, you know?"
"I just don't know why you didn't talk to me about it," she mentioned as she fiddled with her hair. I wasn't fooled. She was upset.
"I, I mean, I didn't know. I mean... I was scared to."
"Why?" She sounded like I'd said something impossible.
"I, I," I took a deep breath. "Deb, I don't think real well when you're around. And if you said for me to do something, I'd probably do it, even if I wouldn't want to when you weren't there. So if I talked to you about it, then you'd say well, just go on, even though I might not want to."
"What do you mean, not go on?"
"Deb, please..." This was hard, harder than eating glass. And it hurt more.
*** 20:29 18 Apr
God, this was quite possibly the most painful date I'd ever been on. Without exception. I still cared for Debbie, which is why I hadn't told her off and left, but right now, I would be quite happy not to see her until Monday- I stifled a groan as I remembered that I'd invited her to the game tomorrow.
*** 22:05 18 Apr
Did serious relationships always hurt this bad?
*** 08:20 19 Apr
I staggered out of bed, towards the bathroom. Brian was in it, the jerk. I hated getting up late.
He'd locked the door, too. And he'd scream bloody murder if I popped the lock. Oh well; I'd had to wait for Susan sometimes in the morning, this shouldn't be THAT bad.
*** 08:39 19 Apr
I almost ran over Brian when he finally opened the door.
*** 09:12 19 Apr
Someone tapped on my door. It had to be Mom. Dad would have rung the doorbell, and Brian would have pounded, and anyone else would have called first.
"Eugene?" It was Mom. What a surprise.
"I'm getting dressed!" I yelled through the door.
"I just wanted to check," she said as an excuse.
I just wanted to take off again. I hated this.
*** 10:16 19 Apr
After explaining their version of events to my new therapist, a woman with a bunch of letters after her name, my parents went out to the waiting room.
We looked at each other for a long time after the door closed.
Finally, she asked, "What would you like to talk about?"
"I don't want to be here, I don't want to talk." That was putting it mildly. Real mildly.
She looked a little hurt, and I felt sort of bad. On the other hand, I wasn't here because I wanted to be, either.
"Well, it would help ME if we could talk a little, about something," she said, which made me feel worse.
*** 10:52 19 Apr
"See you next week, then?" she asked me. I turned to my parents in rage.
*** 11:21 19 Apr
The ride home was not fun. I might have said some things I shouldn't have, but they shouldn't have threatened to ground me. The urge to just run off was almost overpowering. I had to keep fighting it every time we stopped.
*** 11:44 19 Apr
"Did you have fun getting your fat head shrunk?" Brian asked as I started to open the door to my room.
I turned around, and he must've seen what I was going to do to him, because he immediately turned and ran down the stairs screaming. Opening the front door slowed him down, but I almost lost it taking the last turn around the stairs a few steps behind him. I almost caught him a couple of blocks later, but he must've caught his second wind. Or maybe it was fear of dying. He should have been afraid; I was originally going to throw him down the stairs. Head first.
*** 11:56 19 Apr
I heard Brian scream, "But I just said ONE THING! You can't-"
Dad barked something which I didn't think Brian was going to like. He didn't; you could hear him screeching incoherently downstairs.
Debbie just sat on my bed, holding me. I was shaking from the aftershocks. I guess it was lucky she showed up when she did; I was getting ready to grab my stuff and take off again. Or set up a deathtrap in Brian's room, I wasn't sure which.
*** 12:06 19 Apr
Brian was standing behind my parents, looking sullen. "Eugene," Dad asked, "do you still want to go to the game today? It's up to you."
I thought about it for a long time. Then, for reasons I could never explain, I nodded. "Yeah." Debbie squeezed my hand.
*** 12:18 19 Apr
I was getting really tired of these unhappy car trips. Mom and Dad talked in the front seats, but Brian was staring out the window and radiating dislike, or worse. Debbie had stuck herself between us, I guess to prevent us trying to kill each other in the car. Or maybe she was holding a knife to his ribs, I dunno.
*** 12:32 19 Apr
We all stood in line to buy tickets. Brian was on the other side of Mom and Dad from me and Debbie, which suited me just fine. Debbie and I held hands, though I was kind of scared to talk to her, after last night.
*** 12:42 19 Apr
"Well, here's our seats," Dad said. "Does anyone have to go before the game starts?"
*** 12:50 19 Apr
I was glad it didn't start until one, I really was. I was wondering if Debbie would ever make it out of the women's "room."
Anyway, I was minding my own business, sort of, waiting for her to come out, when someone grabbed me on the shoulder.
I spun around, and it was Rob Walsh. "You little shit," he started, and pushed me backwards into the wall.
"Fuck you Rob!" I started, and he took a swing at me. I ducked and was thinking about what the hell to do next - fight or flight - when Brian, of all people, punched Rob in the side. Rob turned sideways, raising his fists, and Brian raised his.
The idea of letting Brian get the shit beat out of him didn't even enter my mind. I snap-kicked the back of Rob's knee, and he went down, almost falling on top of Brian. "Beat feet!" I yelled at Brian, and then I saw Debbie, looking confused, which was rapidly changing to angry. I grabbed her hand and yanked her along, running towards Brian, who finally got the hint. All three of us dodged through the crowd and were out of sight before Rob could get up or security could bust us all.
*** 12:54 19 Apr
"Who was that asshole?" Brian asked.
"Some guy from school, thinks I made his girlfriend break up with him," I told him. "He's paranoid and hates me. I didn't think he'd be here." I kept scanning, looking for him, as we skidded down the stadium steps back to our seats.
"Maybe you shouldn't date so many girls," Brian commented.
"She wasn't one of the ones I hang out with," I told him. "He's just pissed."
"He said some really nasty hurtful things to one of my friends," Debbie added. "He's just an asshole."
Brian nodded in agreement. "Jerk like that," he started, but then we were at our seats, and it wouldn't be real clever to talk about that sort of stuff around Mom and Dad.
*** 14:02 19 Apr
I looked over at Debbie. "Having fun?" I asked her. I still wasn't sure if this was a good idea or not.
When she smiled at me, and squeezed my hand, I guessed it was a good idea. Though it made me hurt to look at her.
*** 17:37 19 Apr
We were all chowing down on burgers and suchlike, and I was actually enjoying myself for a change. It helped that Debbie was carrying almost half the conversation by herself. I dunno what my folks thought, but she was brilliant today, acting just like the girl any parent would want his son to date. Brian kept making faces at her, and she kept ignoring them. When he interrupted, though, she even talked to him. I wanted to warn her that encouraging him was the wrong thing to do, but it seemed impolitic.
*** 18:01 19 Apr
As we all walked back to the car, Debbie reached out and grabbed my hand. It almost made walking through the drizzle nice.
"Bueller?"
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"Tallyho!" \ / @>--,--'-- ehayes@nym.alias.net + vicki .sig Ellen Hayes --=()=()=-- Renaissance Woman ==[-------- + virus 9.1a
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